MOST Magazine Fitness JUN'15 ISSUE NO.3 | Page 117

industry is certainly not cheap, but there are ways
to limit spending to fit into your own budget. As
Miss California International, I competed at the
national pageant in a wardrobe that was entirely
borrowed. This decision allowed me to make
larger investments of time and money into other
elements of competition like photos, coaching,
and advertisement in order to accomplish my
competition goals.
When you create a budget, you suddenly
become much more decisive, creative, resourceful
and focused. Create a budget that makes sense
with what you are able to spend and aligns with
your personal values and vision of success. I don’t
want you to accidently overspend on a pair of
shoes and then not be able to afford a make-up
artist on the day of the pageant. Or worse, wake up
the day after with no crown wondering how you’re
going to pay off your credit cards. Plan in advance
for how you’ll spend your time and money and then
stick to it.
Many people believe that the point of a beauty
pageant is to select the prettiest woman. They’re
wrong. Most beauty pageants are selecting the
most beautiful contestant. Confused? I don’t blame
you. Our culture has trained us to believe that
‘beauty’ is the same as ‘attractiveness.’ But, you’ve
probably heard of the saying ‘beauty is in the eye
of the beholder.’ The definition of beauty is “a
characteristic of a person, animal, place, object,
or idea that provides a perceptual experience
of pleasure or satisfaction.” Did you see that:
“perceptual experience” not “actual appearance”?

serving them authentically. If this new friend has
an experience that’s positive, pleasurable, and
satisfactory, the person is sure to described you as
‘beautiful.’ Pageant contestants must realize that
beauty is far less about them and more about how
they treat others.
Pageantry is an exciting hobby that has a lot
of overlap with real-life experiences. When you
don’t win a pageant, the heartache is real. But, it
won’t last a lifetime; I promise. The reputation you
build through the relationships you create will last a
lifetime if you treat them with care and respect.
When I was competing, one of my mentors told
me not to cry if the five strangers in the front row
rejected me. I was only to cry if my friends and
family members that came to support me, cheer
for me, and hug me when it was over rejected me.
Fortunately, even when the judges didn’t select me
to win a pageant (which happened more often), my
friends and family never rejected me. I was always
reminded that the relationships I create in life last
far beyond the game of pageantry.
I’m always rooting for every contestant to win
a pageant – if not this one, then the next one. It’s
fun to win and makes for a memorable year of
professional development and personal growth. I
know that just competing in pageants develops a
woman’s spirit, personality, and strength. My hope
for you is that you will see pageantry as a way to
share your true beauty with others to impact the
world positively around you.
And, of course, that you’ll win a pageant.

Instead of being so overly concerned with
outward appearance, I train my clients to focus
on the experience others have when they are in
the contestant’s presence. To practice this, next
time you met someone new, make your interaction
all about them by being kind, generous, and

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